Showing the flash of his future success, a young entrepreneur and a friend started a business back in the 1950’s, busing University of Alabama alumni to football games across Alabama and Mississippi.

That young entrepreneur, Selma’s Julius Talton, would grow up to be the National President of the University of Alabama’s Alumni Association. But before those heady days, he and his partner, Charles Cobb, had a big time carting the big wigs across the state.

“And we never once thought about getting a liability policy,” Cobb added with an impish laugh.

Luckily for Selma and Talton himself, he grew out of the busing business to become a communications industry legend across the state, a well-known philanthropist and possibly one of the biggest University of Alabama fans in the world.

Talton died Sunday, succumbing to a prolonged illness. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, January 26 in First Baptist Church with the Rev. Lee Tate officiating. He will be buried today in New Live Oak Cemetery.

However, for those that knew him, Talton’s legacy will continue.

“He was a very astute businessman, I would almost say brilliant,” Cobb said. “He was one of the dearest friends anybody can have.”

Talton’s business acumen has become the stuff of legend.

From starting successful radio stations, to telecommunications businesses to the Internet, it always seemed like Talton was two steps ahead of the competition.

“Julius Talton was an outstanding member of the communication industry not only in Selma and Dallas County but throughout the state of Alabama. He was an innovator who brought big time radio to small town Alabama,” said longtime friend, coworker and employee Jamie Wallace. “He was at the cutting edge of not only technology but programming and serving communities. He was involved in his industry and people who had innovative ideas and he also had innovative ideas. They melded together in such a way that put him in the forefront.”

One of those people was engineer Jim Lumpkin.

“I worked with Mr. Talton for 33 years now, been with him a long time and done a lot things,” Lumpkin said. “He was a great man. I had the utmost respect for him and felt that it was an honor and a privilege to be associated with him.”

Talton, who spent his early childhood years in the United Methodist’s Children’s home, was a standout athlete at Parrish High before leaving town for the University of Alabama.

After five years in the Strategic Air Command, he could have taken offers in Birmingham, according to Cobb, but he and his high school sweetheart and wife, Pearl Luckie Talton, wanted to get home to Selma.

“I think his aim was to come back to Selma in the very beginning,” Cobb said. “He had opportunities to stay in Birmingham but he was coming home.”

“He was a great community minded person,” friend and Dallas County Probate Judge Johnny Jones said.

Back in Selma, he bought two radio stations, WHBB and WTUN, and formed Talton Broadcasting Co.

“I could say a million things but the most impressive thing was coming into a business that he had established and seeing how well it was run,” said Mike Reynolds who now owns the stations. “I thought of Julius as the crown prince of broadcasting in the state. The numbers of famous people that came through the very studios I occupy today and he taught them how to do it right.”

“One of the things he believed in was putting his radio stations at the center of the community,” Wallace said. “If you worked for him you were supposed to be involved in the Chamber of Commerce you supposed to be involved in the schools. He said any radio station can play music but it’s the other things that you do that makes the difference.”

When Selma became the center for the white-hot media spotlight during the Civil Rights days, it was Talton and his ABC affiliate radio station that helped the news get out to the world.

“Ted Koppel actually got his start sitting atop a red VW bus owned by the radio station,” Wallace said. “He and Koppel became friends.”

“When ABC came to town back during the march, they were overwhelmed at the technology available,” Reynolds added.

However, Talton wasn’t a technology expert, Reynolds added.

He had the business sense to hire the best available and let them do their jobs.

“He had enough vision to know when there was an area he didn’t have expertise in, he went out and found the right expertise,” Reynolds said.

By 1973 Talton and his partners were involved in the new mobile phone and pager industry.

“If you look at some of the old movies from that date, they looked like a big old two way radio,” Lumpkin said, “which is what it was. The biggest difference was here we had two frequencies. The system would handle two calls and that’s all.”

Eventually, that business sold and Talton moved on again.

He founded WWISP Internet service in the middle ’90’s.

All the while, Talton maintained that community-minded vision.

He headed the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, the Boy Scouts, Selma City School Board and the Salvation Army.

At the time of his death, he served on the steering committee working to raise money for the new YMCA.

“Mr. Talton has been a longtime supporter,” Angie Miller, YMCA CEO said. “He was very excited about the new YMCA and all the promise it brought to our community.”

Talton, however, wasn’t one to seek attention for his good works.

“He was an active supporter to the Children’s Home and contributed in an unassuming, behind-the-scenes way,” Children’s Home Director Mike Galloway said. “I think it’s quite safe to say that he supported the Children’s Home in probably more ways than I know about.”

Talton brought his business sense to the organizations he loved as well.

As President of the Rotary, he decided that one month he wanted perfect attendance, Cobb said. So he bought pairs of white gloves.

He sent the right glove to the wife of each Rotarian with a note saying they could have the other if their husbands came to every meeting that month.

“You know we had people come back from Pensacola making the meeting,” Cobb said. “He got the 100 percent.”

He gave 100 percent devotion to his University as well.

Not only was he National President of Alumni, he was also elected to the University of Alabama Hall of Fame.

“He was a tremendous friend, a dedicated volunteer and supporter of the university,” Bonnie LaBresh Director of Development of the College of Communication said. “He was unfailingly generous with his time and service. He was a great statesman and a southern gentleman all the way through.”

And he cast a long shadow. When Reynolds bought the radio stations from the company that had purchased them from Talton, he was concerned about the reaction.

“My fear was that he may not take a liking to me running his old place,” Reynolds said. “It was very much the opposite… I can assure you I took his advice.”

For all his success Talton remained close to those he grew up with and the city he loved.

“I would talk to Julius sometimes and get his thoughts on some things,” Jones said. “Julius was just a real good guy.”